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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (TCD) — A mother and her teen housemate face charges after the woman’s child went missing and deputies found multiple malnourished dogs in their home.
According to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, on March 19, deputies responded to a home after a mother, 31-year-old Tania Rodriguez, reported her son missing but was unable to “provide a precise timeline.” Detectives found the child at his school the next day. During an interview, the boy reportedly told officials he had been away from his home for three days.
Further investigation into the missing juvenile revealed “alarming conditions in the child’s home,” including no electricity or running water, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities said the home was in a “deplorable state” that had been infested with flies and cockroaches. The floors were reportedly “contaminated with fecal matter.”
The sheriff’s office said they learned four children lived in the home under Rodriguez’s care. Officials removed the juveniles and placed them with family members. Additionally, deputies discovered multiple dogs inside the residence in “severely malnourished conditions.”
On March 20, the sheriff’s office arrested Rodriguez on four counts of child neglect. Officials also charged the homeowner and Rodriguez’s roommate, 19-year-old Aaron Edwards, on two counts of animal cruelty.
According to records, Rodriguez remains held on $20,000 bond, and Edwards remains held on $5,000 bond.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “Child neglect is not just a crime; it is a betrayal of the most important purpose we have as parents, to protect our children.”
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